Figuring it Out
by Vinividivinci
Summary: Will Sam and Jack ever figure it out?  S/J always and forever!
1. Chapter 1

_**Okay everyone - I'm afraid my muse has deserted me! Hopefully it's not permanently. I'm finding myself without ideas or inspiration and am struggling to put 'fingers to keyboard'. The following story is nothing new - in fact it's an old one and more of the same. Any ideas, suggestions for other stories would be appreciated or I may take a break. **_

_**I hope you enjoy anyway - and please, send a review. I really, really need the encouragement! Thanks to all of you.**_

It was amazing really. Everything looked exactly the same as it had a month ago, or last year, or even five years ago. While there were small differences, for the most part his street, his home, hell – even the SGC hadn't changed all that much. Why then did he feel like he was walking around in a totally different universe?

In actual fact though, he knew exactly why – and when things had changed. He'd been in charge of the SGC for just a few months when it happened. He had been expecting it, knew it was coming, but still – he felt like he'd been shot in the gut when it finally _did_ happen. It was exactly six weeks ago now, and nothing had been the same since.

Oh, he pretended. And he was pretty sure he'd done a good job of it. No one seemed to suspect, except Teal'c maybe, but he was too much the steadfast friend to say anything. He was actually surprised at Daniel. He'd thought for sure the archaeologist would bug him, but he'd seemed to accept everything just fine and hadn't said a word.

So – he could at least feel some sense of relief that his dignity and pride were intact, if not his heart. He clearly remembered the day. It was at the end of a rather routine briefing on planet – something or other – and he'd dismissed the team. He was just about to switch from 'General' to 'Jack' mode and invite them over for pizza on Friday night when Sam had spoken. She'd told them all she had an announcement. She'd smiled, but had refused to look at him – which should have been his first clue. But he had been too unsuspecting, concentrating instead on her face and the way her lips curled up and her eyes shone when she was happy. It was then that she struck.

He was happy for her – really he was. Wasn't he the one that had constantly told her to 'get a life'? Pete was a good man – not good enough for her – but a decent guy. He was sure she'd be happy in her house with the white picket fence, two kids and a dog. He couldn't begrudge her that. Why then had he felt betrayed? Why had he wanted to turn on her and accuse her of being faithless?

Fortunately he had done neither. He had swallowed, taken a deep breath and congratulated her on her engagement. "Way to go Carter", he'd said. "Pete's a lucky guy!"

She'd thanked him and had gotten hugs from Daniel and Teal'c. He hadn't been able to go that far – no, that was too much to ask of him. But he had shaken her hand and congratulated her again. Teal'c had given him a strange look but hadn't said anything, for which he was thankful. No, he'd gotten through it without anyone knowing that his heart felt like lead. If he'd gone home and gotten drunk – well, that was no one's business but his.

He'd gotten through the last six weeks as well as he could. When anyone was around he was his usual jovial self. When alone, it was a different story, but again, no one need know. He spent a lot of time in his living room, the lights off, surrounded by the silence of lost dreams.

He knew that things had to change. He could no longer go on like this, especially since her wedding was only a few short weeks away. He knew it would only get worse when she was finally and forever married, so he had decided to make some changes in his life.

Step number one was getting through the party the SGC was throwing for her. It was a 'Jack and Jill' shower – which simply meant he had no excuse to skip it. He had thought of numerous ways of getting out of it and had even picked up the red phone to see if he could get the President to schedule an emergency meeting on the date of the party. He'd set it down without calling however. He knew he had to go – both for Sam's sake – and even more for his own. He knew people would talk if he didn't go. It could start all sorts of rumors and make people remember incidents from years ago. It would also be a big fat give-away to the other members of Sg1. No, he was going to have to grin and bear it. Somehow he'd get through it. It couldn't be _that_ much worse than spending time with Ba'al.

So here he was, wandering through the mall, trying to figure out what the hell to buy her – them – for a shower gift. It was only a few days to the party and he had absolutely no idea what to get. He didn't want to get anything too personal – that would be uncomfortable – at the same time it couldn't be too _impersonal_ – that would hurt Sam. It was as he was looking at some towels that he bumped into someone.

"Oh – I'm sorry", a soft voice spoke to him. He turned around and there in front of him was an attractive, dark haired woman. "I wasn't watching where I was going", she said. "I hope I didn't hurt you."

"Uh – no – no, not at all", he answered. He noticed again that she was quite pretty. She must have been in her late 30's but she was slim and looked fit. She was dressed in some kind of sun dress and her gently bronzed skin looked lovely against the white of the dress. "It was probably my fault anyway", he continued. "I was looking at the towels and wasn't watching where I was going."

"Did you find any", she smiled, pointing to the pink towel in his hand.

He looked down at it and chuckled. "It's a wedding present", he said. "I was trying to figure out what to get but I admit I'm not very good at this."

"Your wife isn't helping?" she asked.

He knew instantly that she was trying to discover if he was married, but didn't mind. She seemed nice and it did him good to have an attractive woman show some interest in him.

"No – no wife I'm afraid. So I'm left to do this – which really isn't one of my skills! I'm afraid I don't know much about linens and bridal showers and stuff like that."

"Would you like some help?" she asked softly. She instantly blushed. "I don't mean to be forward – I just thought – if you want some suggestions?"

"Your husband wouldn't mind?" Okay – two could play this game, he thought.

"No – no husband I'm afraid", she said, echoing his words. Her lips quirked in a small smile and he laughed.

"Good – then yes Ma'am, I'd greatly appreciate the help! He held out his hand. My name's Jack – Jack O'Neill."

"Nice to meet you Jack", she said, shaking his hand. "My name is Anna Silva."

He proceeded to tell her that he was buying for a friend. "Sam – that's Samantha - has worked with me for a number of years", he said. "I don't know her fiancé very well – only met him a few times."

She asked a few questions about Sam and then offered some suggestions. They ended up going through the mall together, looking at a variety of items, with her offering ideas – and nixing some of the things he looked at.

In the end he purchased a beautiful glass bowl in an art shop. It was purely decorative, but the colors and shape reminded him of the Stargate. Of course he couldn't tell that to Anna – his new acquaintance – but she agreed it was pretty.

"It's lovely", she said, "and something I'm sure they'll cherish."

After his purchase was wrapped he invited Anna for an early dinner. "It's the least I can do", he said, "especially after you've been so kind to waste an afternoon on me."

"Oh, I certainly wouldn't say I wasted it", she replied seriously. "I haven't had so much fun in a long time. It's great spending someone else's money!"

He ended up taking her to a little Italian restaurant close to the mall. They chatted for a couple of hours and then she said she had to head home.

"I have to get up and go to work early tomorrow", she said. Anna was a middle school teacher and she was taking her class on a field trip the next day. "We're going to Norad", she said. "The kids are all excited."

"Really?" he raised his eyebrows. He'd told her he was with the Air Force, but not where he was posted or what his rank was. Since they were in Colorado Springs Air Force personnel were a dime a dozen so she wasn't surprised. She'd tried to find out more but he'd laughed and said he wanted to know more about her instead.

"Uh – I actually work in Cheyenne Mountain", he'd said then. "Maybe I'll come and see you and your class."

"I'd like that", she'd smiled. "So you're with Norad?"

"No, not really. I work in a different department – I'm with Deep Space Radar Telemetry. We just share the Mountain with them." He really hated that cover but that's what the Air Force still insisted on.

"I have no idea what that even _is_", she'd laughed, "but it sounds – uh interesting."

"No it doesn't", he laughed as well. "It basically means we watch deep space to see what's going on out there."

"In case of alien invasion?"

"Oh absolutely", he laughed again. He hadn't laughed so much in a while. It was doing his bruised heart good. "Look, if you'd like I'll have security let me know when you're there and I can come up and meet the kids and take them on a bit of a tour."

"That would be great – we do have a tour guide from Norad though, so you don't have to do that."

"Oh I know", he grinned. He wasn't about to tell her that the kids would get to see more with a General escorting them. He'd just have to speak to the Norad Commander and ask if he could come up and accompany the kids. He was sure it wasn't a problem – he got along well with the man.

He said goodnight to Anna and went home and for the first time in a long time he didn't lie awake dreading the weekend ahead. Just before he fell asleep however, he did look over at the box with the gift that he'd laid on his dresser. He sighed – it still hurt. Refusing to think anymore about Sam, he went to sleep and tried to think about a petite brunette with big brown eyes. Maybe those eyes would soothe his soul.

It was mid-way through the morning and he was signing _another_ form that Walter had insisted on giving him when his phone rang. It was security up top telling him that the kids had arrived with their teacher – a Mrs. Anna Silva. He wondered briefly at the 'Mrs' – she had said there was no husband. Maybe she was divorced or widowed. He'd have to find out.

He stood up to leave when there was a knock on the door. He looked up to see Sam – no – Carter standing there. "What can I do for you Carter?" he asked.

"I'm sorry to bother you Sir. I was wondering if you had a few minutes?" She looked nervous and less than her usual calm and collected self.

"Uh – is it urgent or can it wait?" he asked. "I'm supposed to meet a class of kids who are coming to see Norad. If it's important I can tell them I can't come -"

"Oh, no, no, that's fine General. It wasn't really all that important." She continued to look flustered and at the same time both relieved and upset.

"Are you sure? I don't' mind putting them off."

"No – that's okay. I can come back later."

"Okay – if you're sure." He frowned as he watched her turn and leave. He really wondered what the hell that had been about. "Walter", he said as he walked out of this office. "I'll be upstairs if you need me. I have my cell."

"Very good Sir", Walter grinned. "Enjoy!"

"Oh, I will Walter! I'm about to let loose 30 grade six kids on Norad. Old North is going to love me!" North was the commander and a good friend of Jack's.

He made his way down the hall towards the elevators. It was only as the door shut and he started to go up that he realized. He was whistling.

"Anna – it's good to see you!" He spotted the woman he'd met yesterday and walked over to her. She smiled when she saw him but then took note of his uniform and frowned.

"You – you're a general!" she said, seeing the stars on his shoulders.

"Yup – guilty as charged."

"Oh my!" She suddenly looked flustered. "I had no idea. I wouldn't have spoken to you like that yesterday if I'd known."

"Why not?" he asked, puzzled. "Just because I'm a general doesn't mean I'm any good at looking for towels. Anyway", he leaned forward and whispered, "I'm pretty sure they made a mistake in making me a General – but don't tell anyone."

She laughed and relaxed – and then introduced him to the kids – who were either impressed or frightened by the fact that he was a 'real live general'.

He had a great time for the next couple of hours, showing the kids around. The guide from Norad gave them the 'real' tour – he added all sorts of funny stories and made up some things about what the men and women there did.

"Do you think there are aliens in space sir", one little girl asked. He got a pang when he looked at her blond hair and big blue eyes. He could just imagine Sam like this as a little girl. She had probably been just as interested in space and aliens as this little girl.

"Do I think there are aliens? Well, I don't think we should ever discount something like that. Space is an awfully big place. There could be lots of interesting things out there."

"But what if they attack us?" a little boy asked.

"Uh – well, that's what Norad is about – to defend us from our enemies. Our men and women in the Air Force are pretty tough. I'm sure they'd kick some alien – uh – I'm sure they'd beat the aliens!"

The kids laughed and the tour continued. By the time they were ready to head back to school Jack found that he'd grown to like Anna even more. She was sweet and funny – but also knew how to keep the kids under control. He figured she would have made a pretty good officer.

Just as she was watching the kids get back on the bus, Jack made a sudden decision. "Uh Anna, I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to the bridal party this weekend?"

She turned and looked at him in surprise. "But – are you sure? It's for your friends."

"Yeah – but we were told to bring a guest. If you don't want to I'll understand. I just thought – since you helped find the gift - "

He stopped talking and watched her, wondering if he'd read things incorrectly. When she got a big smile he gave an inward sigh of relief. He'd been worried he was about to be rejected – again! Although he knew that really wasn't fair. Sam hadn't exactly rejected him – although it still felt that way.

"Well, if you're sure – I'd love to go."

He got her address and then said goodbye. He stood in the parking lot as the bus drove away, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

Later that day he ran into Sam just as he was returning from the commissary. "Oh Carter – you wanted to see me about something? I'm free now."

"That's okay Sir", she answered, looking uncomfortable. "I figured it out."

"You're sure? I have some time."

"No, that's okay. Oh – how did the tour go?" she asked.

"It was fun", he grinned. "They're all so curious and innocent. They wanted to know if I believed in aliens and what we'd do if we were attacked!"

"And what did you say Sir", she grinned back.

"I said of course I do – and if we were attacked I send Colonel Samantha Carter out to whip their butts!"

"You did not General", she laughed. "I'm afraid that would be a breach of security."

"Yeah", he sighed dramatically. "I just told them 'you never know'. Well – my break is over. Got to get back to doing my General stuff!"

"Yes Sir", she smiled again.

He headed back to his office and didn't see the look of longing on her face as she watched him walk away. He would have been very surprised to have read her thoughts at that moment.

Sam had been having some serious second – and third and fourth – thoughts about her engagement to Pete. He was a nice man, and she'd been happy to have him in her life. It had been wonderful to experience 'normal' for a change. But as the wedding got closer, she really began to think she'd made a terrible mistake. As nice a man as he was, he didn't make her heart stop or her breathing speed up like – someone else she knew. At the same time, she worried that she was letting hero worship – or the 'unattainable' keep her from totally committing herself. She sometimes wished she and Jack could have just slept together and got it out of their systems. Maybe then she could have moved on.

She thought about the General and realized that he seemed different today for some reason. Although there had been nothing specific – and he had seemed to act the same as always – she had gotten the distinct impression that he had not been happy since the announcement of her engagement. It wasn't anything she could put her finger on – it was just a feeling. She'd tried to talk to Daniel but he'd been clueless about it. She suspected Teal'c knew something – or saw something – but she was too afraid to speak with him. She might then have to confront her true feelings.

No – he was definitely different today. He seemed lighter, happier. She knew she should be happy about that but instead it depressed her. She gave herself a mental kick – knowing she was being terribly unfair. He deserved to be happy and she shouldn't want him to feel miserable that she was getting married. Although the truth was – she did. She felt guilty about it but it seemed to prove that he still cared and for some reason – which she refused to analyze – that meant a whole hell of a lot.

Jack felt nervous and out of sorts the whole day. He was really dreading this damn party, more than anything he could remember in a long time. He would have given anything to have some alien come along and poke another hole in him but suspected it wasn't going to happen. Still, the one thing he had to look forward to was bringing Anna. He just hoped that he could keep from being miserable around her. It wouldn't be fair to her.

He picked her up on time and whistled when he saw her. "You look beautiful", he said when she opened the door.

She blushed and thanked him. "You look pretty good yourself", she answered. "although I admit I loved that uniform you had on the other day."

"Yeah?" He grinned. "That was the main reason I joined the Air Force", he admitted. "I knew women were suckers for a man in a uniform!"

By the time they arrived at the hotel where the party was being held he'd relaxed substantially. Being able to attend with an attractive woman was making this all much easier. He suddenly stopped on the way in though, when he had a thought. Oh god – he should have told Sam he was bringing someone. He hadn't thought about it at all. Well, she had said bring a guest so he hadn't done anything wrong. She wouldn't mind anyway, he decided. Pete was her life now.

They entered and found the room where the party was being held. The first person he saw when he walked in was Teal'c – who was looking quite magnificent dressed all in black, with a black hat adorning his head.

"Murray!" he called. He turned to Anna. "I want you to meet a good friend of mine. He was on my team for years." He leaned over and whispered, "he's a foreigner so don't mind his formality – it's just his way."

"O'Neill", Teal'c bowed his head and then looked at the woman at the General's side and raised his eyebrow in inquiry.

"Murray – this is Anna Silva. She's a friend of mine and agreed to keep me company this evening."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Anna", 'Murray' bowed his head. "Are you from this area?"

Anna chatted with him for a few moments, telling him what she did and how she'd met 'Jack'. Finally the big man turned towards the General.

"Have you seen Colonel Carter", he asked, looking Jack straight in the eye.

Whoops, thought Jack. Teal'c is pissed with me. "No", he said, "You're the first person I've seen tonight. I'm sure I'll run into her." He refused to sound defensive. He'd done nothing wrong.

"Your friend didn't seem too happy with you", Anna said as they walked away.

"Oh, that's just his manner. He's really a teddy bear." He glanced over and met a pair of blue eyes – behind glasses – that were glaring at him. He sighed. "There's someone else I'd like you to meet. Daniel", he called, taking Anna over. "Hi – I wanted to introduce Anna Silva. Anna this is Dr. Daniel Jackson. Danny's an archaeologist and works with me at Cheyenne Mountain. He's also a good friend."

"It's lovely to meet you", Anna put out her hand. "I won't ask what an archaeologist is doing working with deep space – whatever. I'm sure it's top secret."

"Yeah", Daniel laughed and then leaned forward. In a false whisper he said – "actually, my _real_ job is to look after Jack here. The Air Force needed someone to watch out for him and keep him out of trouble."

"Ha!" Jack laughed. "I think you have that backwards Jackson." He looked at the woman by his side. "I've spent the last seven years watching out for _him. _You will never believe how much trouble an archaeologist can get into under a mountain!"

The three of them laughed and joked for a few minutes. Daniel was at his most charming, although Jack knew he was in for it from his friend. Damn – what was wrong with these two? He hadn't done anything wrong.

"If you'll excuse me Jack", Anna said a couple of minutes later. "I just need to find the ladies room."

He told her he would wait where he was, and watched her as she headed through the crowd.

"What the hell are you doing Jack?" Daniel suddenly hissed.

He turned and frowned at his friend. "What are you talking about?"

"Anna – _that's_ what I'm talking about."

"Anna? She's nice – what's wrong with her?" he wanted to know, ready to defend his – well, his new friend.

"There's nothing wrong with her. I'm sure she is nice. What I want to know is why you brought her here." Daniel was looking livid, which surprised Jack a bit.

"What do you mean? My invitation said I could bring a guest, so I did. There's nothing wrong in that."

"No, except that it'll hurt Sam!"

"What are you talking about Daniel?" Now it was his turn to get angry. "Why should Sam mind? This is her engagement party for God's sake. I'm sure she's too interested in hanging on Pete's arm to worry about who I bring with me."

"You are such an idiot Jack", Daniel said, resignation in his voice. "Surely you know this will upset her."

"Why the hell should it?" he defended himself. "I'm nothing to her but her commanding officer. She's here celebrating _her engagement_ Daniel. She's happily in love with Pete."

"No she's not", his friend said, more calmly this time. "She's in love with you and has been for years. And you're in love with her."

"Daniel!" he said, a clear warning in his voice. "This is neither the time nor place for this. I'm here with a lovely woman and I want her to have a good time. I don't need this."

"What about Sam", Daniel said.

"What _about her?_"What the hell do you want me to do Daniel? Live like a monk the rest of my life because she's decided to marry someone else?"

"No – but I expected you to say something to her before now", he said quietly.

"What? What should I say? Sam – please don't marry the cop! You and I can't have a relationship, but I don't want you to have one with anyone else either. Is _that_ what I should say? You tell me Daniel – because I sure as hell don't know."

"Is everything okay?" Anna's soft voice interrupted the two men. Jack turned, a startled look on his face.

"Uh – oh – yes, it's fine", he stumbled. "We were just talking about something at work. Daniel and I always get into arguments like this."

"Okay", she said, although she looked a little unsure.

"Yeah – don't mind us", Daniel said. "I've driven Jack crazy for years. We're always arguing so please ignore us. It was lovely to meet you Anna", he said. "I'm going to go and say hi to Walter. Jack." He gave his friend a direct look and, with another smile at Anna he left.

"You're sure everything is okay?" she asked. "Maybe I shouldn't have come."

"What? No – I'm glad you're here. Really, don't mind Daniel. Come on, let's go get a drink."

They wandered around for the next little while, chatting and talking to various people from the SGC. He was sure he was the talk of the evening. He was pretty sure his people had never seen him with a woman before and he knew the SGC was going to be buzzing tomorrow.

He met a few of Pete's friends as well. They seemed to be mostly cops or their spouses although he did run into one of his brothers and chatted for a while. As of yet he hadn't seen either Pete or Sam – and a part of him was dreading having to see them. He had to admit to himself, however, that a part of him was also looking forward to it. Call him mean, call him petty, but he wanted Sam to know he wasn't sitting around nursing a broken heart. He was still able to meet and attract a woman. She didn't want him – that didn't meant that there wasn't someone else who did.

On the trail of that very thought he ran right into his former teammate – and the love of his life.

"General!" he heard her say and looked over to see her on Pete's arm. She had a smile on her face, which faded just a touch when she noticed the woman by his side.

"Uh – hi Sam, Pete. Congratulations. It's a great party."

"Thank you General", Pete said with a smile and a handshake. "We're glad you could make it. Sam was worried that some emergency might keep you away."

"Really?" he raised his eyebrows. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world", he said. "I mean – we were teammates for a long time."

Pete laughed. "See babe, what did I tell you? And who's this General?" he looked at Anna.

Jack introduced Anna to the engaged couple. Sam was friendly and cheerful, although Jack could immediately tell something was off. Pete didn't seem to notice, but he'd known Sam Carter for a long time and could tell when she was faking it. She was definitely not happy. He was just glad she didn't have a zat with her because he suspected he'd have been disintegrated. Oh yeah – she was one pissed lady – and it was directed at him.

"We should circulate and see our other guests", she said after a few minutes. "It was lovely meeting you Anna. I'm so glad you could come and I know the General is glad to have some company."

After the couple had left Anna stopped speaking and looked at the man beside her. When it became obvious that he wasn't looking at her, in fact had forgotten she was there, she sighed. Why was it whenever she found someone she liked he was either attached or on the rebound. Oh well – she might as well enjoy the rest of the evening because she suspected it was going to be the last one she spent with the sexy General.

"I'm sorry Anna", he turned as if he suddenly remembered she was there. "Would you like to dance?"

They spent the rest of the evening dancing and speaking with Jack's friends. Anna couldn't help the slight heartache, knowing how great things could have been. Still, it was very obvious to her that Jack was still in love – with the bride to be.

"That was great", he said as he walked her up to her door. "Thank you for coming."

"Thank _you_", she answered with a smile. He was looking at her directly – for the first time that evening seeming to focus just on her. Maybe she'd been wrong. Maybe there was a chance. So, when he leaned forward to kiss her she accepted – and returned it.

As she watched him leave she couldn't help but put her hands to her lips. The kiss had been nice – no, more than nice – but not quite at a 'wow' kiss yet. She wondered if it would come.

Jack returned home with his mind in turmoil. He _had_ had a lovely time – or would have except for the fact that it was Sam's engagement party. Still, he really liked Anna and was seriously thinking about asking her out again. Maybe he should just go for it. He needed someone in his life. Maybe now was the time to let go of the past and move forward.

He knew it was time. He just wished it didn't hurt so damn much.

She stared out at the night sky, looking at the stars in the clear black expanse of the heavens. What had she done? Somehow, standing alone, looking up at the vast galaxy through which she'd traveled so many times, brought everything into sharp focus. She had made a terrible mistake. She had mistaken contentment for love, security for passion, and need for want. She'd given up the best thing in her life and traded it in on something that was not right for her.

She had been having doubts for quite some time but had continued to try and convince herself that she was making the right decision, the smart decision. It was only when she'd seen Jack with another woman that it had become totally clear. She had chosen Pete and she'd lost the man she loved – and she didn't know what to do.

Without giving it further thought she went and grabbed her coat and keys. She had to talk to someone and she knew just who that person should be. Fortunately Pete wasn't staying over tonight. He'd gone back to Denver with his brother since he had to work the next afternoon. He'd wanted to stay – had told he he could drive back in the morning, but she had needed to be alone.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." She could hear Daniel's groggy voice from the other side of his door. It was already two in the morning so she was sure he wasn't happy about being woken up.

"Sam! What are you doing here?" He looked shocked to see her.

"Can I talk to you Daniel?" she asked. He gestured for her to come in and told her to sit down.

He insisted on fixing her a cup of tea and then sat down beside her on the couch. "Okay, I think I know what this is about", he said gently, "but why don't you tell me why you're here."

"I've lost him Daniel", she said, so quietly he could barely hear.

"Who? Pete?" He wondered what had happened after the party.

"Pete?" she looked at him, confusion on her face. "No – not Pete – Jack."

"Oh." He briefly closed his eyes, not surprised that this had finally come, but not quite sure what to say. "You mean because of Anna?" he said gently.

"Yes – no – because of me Daniel. I did this. I couldn't wait for him and I went out and found the first man I could and I let him go. What am I going to do?"

He could hear the desperation in her voice and realized that things were worse than he'd thought. He'd hoped for the last few weeks that Sam knew what she was doing, that she'd be happy with Pete – although he'd doubted it. When it became clear that Jack wasn't going to do anything he'd realized that there was nothing he could do either, except watch his two friends screw up their lives.

"He brought her to my party Daniel!" she cried.

So – it _was_ about Anna! He wasn't surprised. As soon as he'd seen her he'd been sure Sam would react. He'd been mad at Jack for bringing her, but now he wondered if it hadn't been the best thing he could have done. It had clearly brought things to a head.

"You told him he could bring a guest Sam."

"But I didn't think he _would_", she answered.

"Sam – I don't think you're being fair to him. You said yourself you gave him up, that you chose Pete. So what is he supposed to do? Go through the rest of his life single because you're with someone else?" These were practically the same words Jack had used and he couldn't help but admit they were true. He felt a twinge of guilt for having given Jack such a bad time earlier.

"No – he was supposed to stop me from seeing Pete. He was supposed to tell me that we belonged together and to ask me to wait."

"Really? I don't think he knew that Sam. I think he was pretty sure you'd moved on. How was he supposed to know you wanted him to stop you when you started seeing Pete?"

She stood up then, too upset to sit still. "I don't know. He just – I wanted - I wanted him to tell me how he felt."

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"Because I couldn't – I wouldn't do that to him."

"I expect he felt the same. Look Sam – he's your commanding officer. The last thing he's going to do is go to you and tell you he loves you and to not marry Pete. He would never pressure you like that. Not only that – you could have him charged for harassment for something like that. No – I'm afraid you were always the one who had to make the first move – and you didn't – so don't blame him."

There was silence for a few minutes and he could hear the almost silent ticking of his clock. He was almost surprised, therefore when Sam spoke again.

"Do you think he loves her?" she asked.

"Loves – you mean Anna? I doubt it. He told me they just met a few days ago. I think though -" He stopped, unsure whether to go on or not.

"What?" She lifted her head and looked at him.

"I think he could. I think he's decided to move on. I think he believes that he really has lost you. She seems like a nice person and I think he could end up falling for her." There! He knew it was probably cruel – but there was truth in the saying sometimes one had to be cruel to be kind. She needed the truth.

"No!" she said. "He can't do that!"

"Sam", he said sharply. "That's exactly what you did to him and I gotta say – he's handled it pretty graciously. If you really do love him you have to make the decision as to whether you're going to let him go and find happiness – or whether you'll tell him how you feel and get rid of Pete."

"God – now I'll hurt Pete too!"

"I'm afraid someone is going to get hurt in this scenario regardless."

"Maybe I should let Jack go", she said softly. "I haven't been fair to him have I? He needs to find someone to love and she does seem nice."

"Maybe you should Sam. He deserves some happiness in life." He really didn't want to hurt her but it was the truth. Jack did need someone in his life and he needed to move on from Sam – unless she got her act together and dumped poor Pete.

"I don't know if I can let him go Daniel?" she said, speaking about Jack. "I – I love him so much."

"Sam – you can't have it both ways. Either he's yours or he's not. Do what's right and either let him go – or let Pete go. You can't have them both."

She didn't say anymore that night. Eventually Daniel told her to lie down and he got a pillow and blanket and she crashed on his sofa. As he went to bed he looked one last time at her and shook his head. If only he could send the two of them to a deserted planet for a year!

Sam slept for a little while but, even though she was exhausted, she couldn't rest for long. When she woke up she saw that it was still only a little past four in the morning. After sitting there for what seemed like forever, she got up and put on her shoes and coat. She wrote a short note to Daniel and left.

Who the hell could be ringing his doorbell at four-thirty in the morning? Jack looked around for a robe, since he was sleeping in nothing but his birthday suit. He stumbled his way down the stairs to the front door and looked through the peephole.

Carter! What the hell was she doing here? He reached down and unlocked the door and swung it open.

She was terrified. She decided that it was time for them to talk, to have it out, to bring it out of the closet. For that reason she'd headed over to his house – ready to confront him with her feelings. Of course it was only after she'd rung the bell that she thought about Anna. Oh hell – what if she was here? What if she had slept with Jack? She started to turn around, to get in her car and go, when the door opened.

"Carter – what the hell is going on?" he was in no mood to be polite.

"I'm sorry Sir", she whispered. "I – know it's late. I wanted to – talk to you, if that's okay?"

"At four-thirty in the god damned morning?"

"I'm sorry – I guess I didn't realize. I'll leave. I'm sorry -"

"No", he sighed, taking a look at her. She was pale and looked almost sick. Something was clearly wrong and he'd blasted her. "I'm sorry – I'm not very pleasant when I first wake up. Come on in."

He ushered her into his living room and told her to have a seat. "Can I get you a drink or something?"

"No – no that's fine." She watched as he took a seat opposite her and only then noticed that he was in his robe and his legs were bare. She was suddenly feeling terrible for having disturbed him.

"So, what can I do for you Carter", he asked gently. She looked like she was in shock and he worried that something bad had happened. He leaned forward. "Is something wrong? Is Pete - "

"He's fine", she quickly interjected. God – what should she say? Why had she possibly thought this was a good idea? "I just – I wanted – so, Anna seems nice." She closed her eyes and wanted to groan. What the hell was wrong with her?

"She is", he answered, his confusion registering on his face. What was going on? Surely she hadn't come here to talk about his date? Although he had thought she was ticked at him for bringing someone. Maybe that was it. "I hope you don't mind that I brought her", he continued. "Uh – you did say in your invitation we could bring a guest."

"What? Oh – oh no – that's fine. I'm glad you had – that you were – that – are you seeing her again Sir?"

"What?" He frowned at the woman he'd been in love with for years and could start to feel himself grow angry. What the hell was she doing coming to his house in the middle of the night and interrogating him about his date. "I don't really think that's any of your business Carter", he answered abruptly. "Now – what is it you wanted to talk to me about? It's late and I'm tired."

"I'm sorry", she whispered, closing her eyes. "You're right – it is none of my business. It's just – I guess I was – surprised to see you with someone. I'm sorry", she repeated, standing up. "I should go."

"That's it? You came here to ask if I'm seeing Anna again?" he asked incredulously. "And why the hell would you be surprised? Do you think all I do is work at the SGC, that I'm nothing more than 'General O'Neill? I'm not a monk you know. I don't think it's unfair of me to want to have a life outside work."

"I know. I'm sorry", she said again. "I really – I'll go. Please, just forget this. I shouldn't have come." She headed to the door blindly, her eyes filled with tears. She blinked, desperately trying to keep Jack from knowing she was crying. She'd made it almost to the door when his hand grabbed her arm and swung her around.

"No you don't", he said, his voice sending shivers up her spine. "You came here for a reason, and I want to know what it is. I just spent the evening attending your _engagement party_ – to celebrate the fact that you're getting married. And you come here in the middle of the night and want to know about my _date_? What the hell is going on Sam? I think you owe me an explanation!"

She closed her eyes, cursing the fact that tears were escaping down her cheeks. Still, no one had ever accused Samantha Carter of being a coward. With a deep breath she opened her eyes and nodded. "Yes – yes I do."

After a brief look Jack nodded and led the way back to his living room. He sat again in the chair and watched her as she sat back down on the couch. He didn't say anything, he simply waited for her to begin speaking.

"I – wanted to speak with you the other day", she started.

"I remember. But then you said you'd figured out whatever it was."

"I lied", she said simply. "I hadn't figured it out – at least not then – not until last evening."

He narrowed his eyes, wondering what she was talking about. "And what was it that you figured out?"

"Well you see, ever since I told Pete I would marry him I felt like there was something wrong. I kept trying to convince myself that I loved him like I knew he loved me. I told myself that I wanted the dream – I wanted the 'normal' life. But it still felt wrong and I couldn't' – I couldn't figure out why."

"So why did you want to see me about it? Did you expect me to figure it out for you?" he asked incredulously.

"No – no of course not. I wanted to see you – to talk to you – to ask you - ", she stopped. "You see, I knew that if I _told _you – that then _I _could figure it out."

"Sam – I have no idea what you're talking about", he said, rubbing his hands over his face. The fact was, however, he was pretty sure he _did_ know what she was talking about. He just didn't want to go there. Not now – not when things had gone this far. "But you said you figured it out last night anyway", he continued. "So you didn't really need me – I mean to speak to me – after all.

"I thought that last night I had finally convinced myself that I could still make myself love Pete – even though I wasn't ever going to love him the way I should. I spent all week telling myself that is what I should do", she said, ignoring what he'd said. "But you see, I found out that I was wrong - that I'd been wrong to try and make myself love him. It wasn't fair to him – not when I was still in love with – someone else."

"I – see", he said again, not sure what to say or do. He finally spoke. "So what happened last night that made you realize -?" his voice petered out. He wondered if he really should have asked that question.

"I saw you with that – with Anna. You looked happy – happier than I'd seen you in a long time. It just about killed me", she said with a self-deprecating smile. "That's when I realized what I'd lost – no – what I'd thrown away. And I knew then that I couldn't do this to Pete. He deserves more than a woman who is simply _trying_ to love him – who's wishing she was with someone else."

Jack stood up suddenly, unable to bear staying still another minute. Here she was – the woman he loved – practically telling him outright how she felt about him. He should be shouting in joy. Instead he felt angry and confused.

"I – I don't know what you want me to say", he finally admitted. "I don't know what you want from me Sam. You made a choice to be with someone you could love – and who could love you openly and honestly. I don't blame you for that. He's a good man – maybe you're just suffering from nerves – you know", he tried to laugh, "pre-wedding jitters."

She stared at him, not understanding what he was saying. Didn't he believe her? Did he think she had come over here and practically thrown herself at his feet just because of _nerves_?"

She stood up, knowing then that this had been a horrible mistake. She shouldn't have come. What did she expect – that he'd suddenly confess his love and everything would end 'happily ever after'? God – had how could she have been so stupid, so naïve?

"I'm sorry Sir", she said softly. "I shouldn't have disturbed you. You're right – it's probably just – nerves." She moved towards the door, knowing she had to leave quickly before she fell apart.

"Wait! That's it – you're going to just leave?" He couldn't believe the fact that she'd come to his home in the middle of the night, opened that damn door and now was going to walk out.

"You just told me you thought I made a good choice to be with Pete", she looked at him, thoroughly confused by the conversation. "I – if that's so then there's nothing more to say." She closed her eyes, almost at the breaking point. She had to leave, had to get out of here before she totally made a fool of herself.

She looked at him when she heard his heavy sigh and saw him run his hands through his hair. "I said it was a good choice Carter – I didn't say it was the _right_ choice", he clarified. "Personally, I wanted to shoot you when you announced you were engaged!"

"You did?" she looked at him in surprise. He'd taken it so well at the time that it had confirmed to her that he no longer felt anything for her. It had hurt - a lot – but she had never let on to him or anyone. "I didn't know. I thought you were okay with it. You really wanted to shoot me?" she asked again.

"Yeah, of course. Pete's a nice guy but he's not right for you", he said bluntly, looking at her closely.

"He's not?" Where was this going she wondered? Was this just because he didn't think Pete was right for her – or because he knew of someone who _was_?

"No – he's much too nice, doesn't have that good of a sense of humor - and doesn't owe you his life a dozen times over. No – he's not right for you Sam", he said gently, his anger leaving as suddenly as it had appeared.

"I see", she answered, suddenly breathless. Her lips curved in a small, tentative smile. "See, I was right Jack – I knew you would help me figure it out. You always do – you always have."

"Maybe", he answered, letting out a soft 'huff' of breath. "So what are you going to do?" he asked, not knowing where this conversation was leading although he did know his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.

"I don't know", she admitted. "I know what I _want_ to do – but I don't think it's an option."

"No? You're sure?"

"Yes." This time her smile was ironic. "I've tried to figure this one out for years but I haven't managed to yet. I'm afraid we're – I'm – stuck just like always."

"I see." He stared at her for a moment, biting his lip. "Hey, you just said I was always good at helping you figure things out Carter. Maybe you should ask me for help."

"I don't know if this is one you can do anything about either Sir. Some things are simply impossible to change."

"Yeah, but you're forgetting one thing Carter."

"What's that Sir?"

"We've never let the impossible stop us before. Why should we let it now?" He took a step forward, wanting to reach out, but still not sure if it was the right thing to do.

She watched as Jack moved closer and then stopped. She sighed – that was the story of their relationship – a step forward and then nothing –usually followed by a quick retreat. She knew, with sudden clarity, that it had to stop now. This dance they'd done for so many years was beginning to destroy them. It was time to decide – to move forward together, or to part and each go their separate ways, without looking back. When she looked into Jack's eyes right then, she knew he had come to the same conclusion. This was the watershed moment of their lives. She wondered who would make the first move – one way or the other.

"I don't want to lose you Sam", Jack said, his voice so soft she could barely hear. "I don't think I could bear it." She closed her eyes briefly, wanting to shout with relief and joy.

"I don't want to lose you either Jack. I almost did – and I don't want to ever go there again."

"So", he said.

"So?", she smiled.

"I guess this means – uh – what does this mean Carter?" he asked, looking adorably confused.

"We figure it out together?"

"Yeah", he smiled – this time his entire face lighting up. "We figure it out together. We've always been damn good at figuring things out Sam."

"I know", she smiled in return. "I can't believe we forgot that."

They stood there smiling at each other, not moving, not thinking about anyone – Pete, Anna, their friends. No – this was a moment for the two of them.

Jack realized that now was it. Now was the time to stop moving away – and to move forward – so he did.

Finally so close they were almost touching, Sam looked up and into the eyes of the man she had loved for so many years. She reached out and gently touched his cheek with her hand.

"So – let's start figuring it out", she said.

_**A short epilogue to follow**_


	2. Addendum

_**Thank you all for your kind reviews - and for some great ideas! I'm keeping them all and will use them - with some personal modifications. Thank you again - and here is the epilogue to me story. I hope you enjoy.**_

Damn it all! He threw the pen down and watched as it skittered across the desk and rolled onto the floor. He was so frustrated he didn't know what to do. He'd tried to come up with something – anything – that was feasible but there was nothing. Nothing had changed. It was the same old problem they'd always had. There was just no way for them to be together, not if they wanted to remain in their present jobs.

When Sam came over the other night it had finally seemed like they _could_ figure it out, that they could work out all the problems and be together. He chuckled ironically. Yeah right! Obviously they'd both been suffering temporary insanity, brought on by their - almost - confessions to each other.

He had to smile to himself though. As frustrated as he was now, he still felt a million times better than he had before her visit. Things weren't resolved, or even near to being resolved, but at least he wasn't wallowing in pity and despair. At least now there was hope.

It had been a strange time, he thought of the last few days. He and Sam had agreed to try and figure things out, but beyond that, nothing had been said. They both knew they couldn't – that if they brought things out into the open completely, they would have been in danger of breaking those regulations they'd spent years obeying. As it was, his self-control had almost snapped. When she had reached out and touched his face he'd wanted nothing more than to grab her, pull her to him and kiss her senseless. It still amazed him that he hadn't, that he'd exercised restraint – although to be fair, it had been Sam who had pulled back first.

"I think I should go", she'd said, taking a step back. He would have been upset except that her eyes were soft, and promised so much more. "I'm afraid if I don't", she stopped and bit her lip. "If I don't, I don't think I'll ever want to leave."

He nodded, unable to speak. If he had opened his mouth at that moment it would have been to beg her to stay, to say to hell with everything. Instead he watched silently as she moved towards the door. It was only when she reached out and took the doorknob in her hand that she turned around again.

"Are we still going to figure it out Sir?" she'd asked, sounding unsure.

"Yeah Carter", he'd smiled softly. "We're going to figure it out. It's just – until then - "

"I know Jack." She returned his smile and pulled the door open. "Back to the status quo – but I'll know inside -" She didn't finish.

"Me too Sam", was all he said. He stood and watched as she got in her car and drove away. He slowly returned inside and turned out the lights. Instead of going to bed however, he stood looking out into the dark night. He wasn't quite sure how he felt, or what he felt – he just knew that a door had suddenly opened and he was damned if he was going to slam it shut again. Not this time.

But here he sat, days later, still unable to come up with any kind of a solution. "DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!" he shouted, slapping his palm onto his desk. What was he going to do?

"Is everything okay Sir?" a frightened looking Walter rushed into his office. Walter was used to the mercurial man who was now the base commander, but he'd never heard him shout out like that before. He was seriously worried that something awful had happened, like an alien attack on earth – or the cancellation of the Simpsons.

"What?" The General looked at him, confusion written all over his face. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing how flustered the usually imperturbable Walter looked.

"Uh – nothing Sir. I just heard you shout and I was worried something was wrong in here."

"You heard me – oh", suddenly the General looked rather sheepish. "Sorry about that. I guess I'm just frustrated about something."

"Is it anything I can help you with Sir?" his faithful assistant asked. "I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out."

Now _that_ was the understatement of the year", thought Jack. If there was anyone in the whole universe who was good at pulling rabbits out of his hat, it was Walter. Jack really didn't know what he'd do without the Sergeant.

He sighed and looked regretfully at the man in front of him. "I wish you could Walter", he replied. "I'm afraid this is something beyond even your magical touch."

"Uh – I'd be glad to try General", he answered.

Jack sighed again, and leaned down into his arm, which rested on the desk. "Unfortunately, it's kind of – personal – well, not really personal – I mean, it has to do with the Air Force – but personal – you know what I mean?"

Walter raised his eyebrow – although nowhere near as effectively as Teal'c, thought Jack. He then let out a little cough and looking nervous, began to speak. "Is it – Sir I don't want to get – uh personal – but is this maybe about", he stopped and shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Is this to do with Colonel Carter Sir?" he asked.

O'Neill looked at him in astonishment, although a second later he realized that he really shouldn't be surprised. If there was anyone who knew what was going on in the SGC it was this man. He was about to deny it, but instead looked closely at the faithful little sergeant. Who knows – maybe – !

"Well – it _might_", he answered. "I really – look Walter, this is a very sensitive matter and I don't want to get you into trouble – or Carter or myself for that matter. It's the kind of thing that could really hit the fan and so maybe it's best to -"

"No Sir", Walter interrupted. "All of us here – we all think that you and Colonel – I mean, we'd do anything for you Sir. And don't worry, I'll be careful. No one will suspect a thing, but I'd be honored if you'd let me help."

Jack stared at his assistant, not quite sure what to do or say. Finally, he cleared his throat. "If you think – I mean I don't really think there's anything you _can_ do – but go ahead and try. It can't hurt because I sure as hell can't figure out what to do!"

"I will General", Walter smiled. "And don't worry – we'll figure out something."

Jack nodded again. "Okay – uh – thanks Walter. You're a good man."

After Walter had returned to his desk Jack just sat there, bemused by what had just happened. He laughed softly. God – he was lucky to have the loyalty of such amazing people. Still, he was pretty sure Walter wouldn't be able to do anything. Hell, Sam hadn't been able to figure anything out – and she was a bloody genius.

It was the next morning and he was anxiously awaiting his pre-misison briefing with Sg1. Sam had called in on Monday morning and had asked for a few days off. She had been pleasant, but formal, and he had simply agreed and told her he'd see her Thursday. Her team had a routine mission scheduled for that day and she indicated she'd be back.

He couldn't believe how nervous he was. He didn't know what to expect. What if she'd changed her mind? What if it _had_ simply been nerves and she had decided to stick with old dough boy? Stop it Jack – no need to be mean – Pete was a nice man. And he'd be a lot nicer if he wasn't with Sam, thought Jack.

Just then he heard Teal'c's voice and knew that it was time to move. He took a deep breath and told himself to be brave. Plastering a grin on his face – he hoped it looked natural – he headed into the other room.

"Good morning guys!" Sam hadn't shown up yet but according to his watch she still had a couple of minutes left. At that precise moment he heard her steps and she appeared in the room.

With a small smile and a 'hello', she sat in her usual chair. She glanced briefly at him but he couldn't for the life of him tell what she was thinking.

"So – you're off to -" he reached down and picked up the file. "P3X 2YR?"

"Yes Jack – it's just a routine -" Daniel's voice continued, but Jack lost all ability to follow him. All he could think of was that Sam had most likely changed her mind. She looked wan and tired – and he was very afraid she was going to tell him she'd made a mistake. God – why did this keep happening? Couldn't he just once catch a break?

"Jack?"

"O'Neill? Are you feeling well?"

"Huh?" He looked at the men of Sg1 and frowned. What were they saying?

"Are you okay Jack?" Daniel asked again, looking at him with worry.

"I'm fine. So – what's special about P3 – whatever?" he looked at Daniel expectantly.

"Uh – I just spent the last ten minutes going over all the details Jack", the younger man said carefully.

"What?" he looked back and forth among the members of Sg1. "You did not", he said. There was no way he had missed all that.

"Yes O'Neill, he did", Teal'c said directly, although he too was looking slightly confused.

"Oh – sorry. I guess I'm a little preoccupied. Can you just give me the quick overview?"

So Daniel again explained about the planet. This time he worked hard to listen, although he still found his mind wandering. He desperately wanted to look at Sam – and ask her what she had decided.

"Okay", he managed to say when Daniel was done. "It sounds pretty routine, so you have a go. You'll leave this afternoon at 1300 hours. Is there anything else?"

When no one spoke he grabbed his files and was about to stand up. He was interrupted by Sam's voice.

"Uh – I have something Sir, although it's not about the mission."

"Okay Carter", he sat back down and looked at her. "What is it?" He tried to smile at her, to reassure her that he was okay with everything, but he expected it came out as more of a grimace.

"Well – I just wanted to let you all know that I", she took a deep breath, "that I've broken things off with Pete. We've called off the wedding."

There was dead silence in the room. Sam looked at the three men she'd known for so many years and couldn't read a single one of their faces. She watched Jack carefully, but his face was an utter blank.

"That's – I'm sorry Sam", Daniel finally managed to get out. "Are you okay?"

"Yes Daniel, I'm fine", she answered calmly. "I mean – I hated having to hurt Pete and I feel terribly guilty, but it was the right decision. I actually feel quite relieved."

"You made the correct decision Colonel Carter", Teal'c said. "I am sorry too that Pete Shanahan was hurt but you acted with honor."

"Thank you Teal'c", she smiled gratefully at him. She could always count on his honesty and his support.

"Teal'c is right Sam", Daniel said suddenly. "I know it will be hard, but you did the right thing." He walked over to her and gave her a hug. "We're here for you Sam."

"Thank you too Daniel", she said into his shoulder. When he released her she took a deep breath and looked at the General, unsure of how he'd react.

Jack was stunned and didn't know what to say. He had been hoping that she'd dump – no, that she'd break things off with the cop – but he had refused to get his hopes up. He certainly hadn't expected her to announce it like this. He really didn't know what to do.

It was as a slow grin tried to force its way onto his face – in spite of all his efforts to repress it – that he acknowledged how relieved, how grateful – hell, how _ecstatic_ he was. "Sorry to hear that Carter", he said, biting his lip as the grin threatened to break out. He coughed into his hand. Get a hold of yourself O'Neill – this is neither the time nor place to break out into song. Maybe a quick little dance would be in order? NO – stop it!

"You are?" she asked, a small smile beginning to appear on _her_ face.

"No", he answered baldly. "Actually I'm thrilled. He was totally wrong for you Sam."

"He was?" she said, the smile growing bigger.

"Oh absolutely." The two of them stood grinning at each other. The other two in the room looked back and forth between them, totally mystified by what was happening.

"Uh – Jack?" Daniel finally asked.

"Yes Daniel?" Jack turned to his friend. "What can I do for you?"

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Going on? Why nothing. I'm just telling Sam I think she made the right decision. No different than what you and Teal'c just told her."

"Yes it is", Jackson answered with a frown. "It's totally different."

"Indeed it is O'Neill", Teal'c agreed.

Jack looked at Sam. "Is what I said any different Carter?" he asked.

"No Sir", she grinned. She then turned to the other men in the room. "I'm glad all of you think this was the right decision." She looked again at the General. "If you'll excuse me Sir, I should get ready for this afternoon's mission."

"Of course Carter", he replied, feeling better than he had in – well, since early Sunday morning. Damn it all – they really had to figure this out!

His eyes followed his Carter until she was out of sight. He was going to turn and head into his office until he realized that the other two members of Sg1 were still sitting – and were looking at him with intent expressions on their faces.

"What?" he asked, sounding peeved. "What's wrong?"

"I do not believe there is anything _wrong_ O'Neill, however there is something you are not telling us." Teal'c informed him. His tone of voice indicated he was not about to let Jack out of the room without some explanation.

"Okay Jack – give", Daniel said more succinctly. "What's going on?"

Jack sighed a long-suffering sigh. "There really _is_ nothing going on guys. I'm just – look, I never thought Pete was right for Carter, okay. I'm just happy she's come to her senses."

"There's more to it than that", Daniel answered. "We saw the two of you and there's something going on!"

"Daniel!" Jack said sharply. "Watch what you're saying. You could get us both into trouble by saying something like that."

"I don't mean _that_ Jack. I know nothing's going on – athough I think you're both crazy – but I mean it was obvious there was something just now between the two of you – and don't try and deny it. Teal'c and I have known you both for a long time."

"Okay look – I'll tell you – but don't let Sam know. She confided in me that she was having doubts about Pete. I told her the same thing, that I didn't think he was right for her. I didn't know she was going to ditch – ur break up – with him. I was just happy she did. That's all – I promise."

The two men looked at him carefully and he worked hard to look sincere. After a few seconds they both seemed satisfied, although he was pretty sure they weren't going to just leave it there. Still, for now he had a reprieve.

"All right O'Neill", Teal'c finally broke the silence. "We will believe you. And it was a wise thing that you finally told Colonel Carter the truth."

"Yeah Jack – we both wanted to kick your ass for not saying anything to her. I can't understand why it took you so long?"

"What about you? Did you say anything to her Daniel?" Jack asked.

"No – but -"

"But what?" Jack's eyes narrowed.

"Oh nothing. I'm just glad you finally did – and old Pete the cop is gone, gone, gone!"

"Yeah", Jack grinned again. "He's gone alright – never to return!"

That afternoon Jack sat at his desk, but this time he was staring off into space, a smile on his face. He barely noticed when Walter walked into office and it was only on the other man's clearing his throat that he looked up.

"Oh Walter." He allowed his chair to drop back down from where he'd been leaning back. "What can I do for you?"

"It's not what you can do for me Sir", the other man grinned. "I think it's something I can do for you."

* * *

><p>It had been a boring mission. The planet didn't have anything on it but a few rather primitive villages. There was nothing else of interest – not even any ruins for Daniel. Still, it was probably a good thing, thought Sam. Her mind really hadn't been on her work today. Instead she kept thinking of a gray haired General – who had looked very happy at the news of her break up.<p>

She spared a brief moment of sorrow for poor Pete. He'd taken it really hard – but very graciously – which almost made it worse. She really wished she could go back a couple of months and change things, but at least she'd stopped things from going any farther. She just hoped he could find someone who loved him like he deserved to be loved. He was a good man.

"Sam", Daniel repeated for the third time. "I think we're ready to head back", he said. She looked up startled, to see both Daniel and Teal'c staring at her.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I'm just a little preoccupied today."

"A _little_?" Daniel snorted. "I'm just thankful this is a peaceful planet!"

"Have I been that bad?" she asked, a worried frown on her face.

"I am sure that if there had been danger Colonel Carter, you would have been much more attentive."

Good old Teal'c, she thought, always trying to make her feel better.

"Yeah – you were that bad", Daniel said baldly. He began to walk towards the gate. "You two just need to get a room!" he threw over his shoulder.

She looked to Teal'c, surprised and unsure what to say.

Her Jaffa friend simply nodded and said 'indeed' as he turned and moved out after Daniel.

When they walked through the gate General O'Neill was there to greet them, a pleased look on his face. "Welcome back campers", he said jovially. "So how was good old P3X 2YR? I hope you said 'hi' for me?"

"It was boring Jack", Daniel said, looking askance at his friend and commander.

"It was uninteresting O'Neill", Teal'c agreed. "There was nothing of any value for earth."

"Oh – too bad. How about you Carter? See any interesting doohickeys?"

Daniel made a rather rude noise. "I'm pretty sure Sam didn't see much of anything. She was slightly – preoccupied!"

Jack looked at the woman in front of him and was interested to note the blush which crept up onto her cheeks.

"Daniel! I wasn't that bad!"

"Yes you were", came from both Daniel and Teal'c.

"Don't worry about it Carter", he said. He knew her well enough to know that if they'd been on any other kind of a mission she would be been careful to stay alert.

"What are you doing here Jack?", Daniel suddenly frowned and looked at the General. Usually he only met them if something important had happened.

"Oh, I just wanted to tell Carter I needed to see her after she has her post mission check."

"Really?" Daniel looked at him suspiciously. "You had to come to the Gate room to tell her that? Why didn't you just send a message to the Infirmary?"

"Oh – I just felt like stretching my legs." He looked again at Carter, who was still quite pink. He grinned. "So, you'll come and see me Carter? It's important."

"Yes Sir, I'll be there."

"Good, good." He patted a bemused looking Daniel on the shoulder and then headed back to his office, whistling loudly as he went.

"What the hell was that?" Daniel asked Teal'c.

"I do not know Daniel Jackson. It may be that O'Neill is losing his marbles."

Sam couldn't help but hum as she moved off towards the Infirmary. She knew her teammates were dying to know what was happening – but she didn't really know either. All she _did_ know is that she was feeling happier than she'd felt in a long time.

Finally done with her post-mission check, she jumped off the table and headed quickly towards the door.

"We wanna know what's going on Sam", Daniel called to her as she left. She simply waved at him and kept going.

By the time she reached the General's office her happiness had turned to anxiety. What was this all about? Jack had _looked_ happy – but it could be something to do with work, rather than them.

She stood outside, biting her lip, and trying to make herself knock, when the door suddenly opened in front of her. She squeaked in surprise and practically fell back.

"Whatcha doing standing here Carter", the General said, grabbing her by the arm. "Come in, come in. Walter", he shouted, "I'm not to be disturbed."

"Yes Sir", Walter said, a huge grin on his face.

Sam frowned in confusion. Walter looked like he knew something. This must be to do with work then, she decided, feeling herself deflate slightly.

"What is it Sir", she asked as she followed him into the room. Actually she couldn't help but follow as he was still holding on to her arm.

"Sit down Sam", he said. Once she'd seated herself in the chair, he sat on the corner of his desk right in front of her. "So", he grinned. "Not too successful a mission?"

"Uh – no – I mean, it was okay, but there wasn't really anything interesting. Even Teal'c was bored."

"Really? The only time I think I've seen him really bored is when I took him fishing."

She just looked at the man sitting opposite her and continued to wonder what was going on. He looked and sounded – happy. Something was up. She just wished he'd get to the point.

"What was it you wanted Sir", she finally decided to take the bull by the horns.

"You", he answered simply.

She stared, not sure if she'd heard correctly. He couldn't have just said that, could he? Not at work, not when they were both in uniform on base. "Sir?" she asked, tilting her head.

"You – I want you Carter. I have for a long, long time." He smiled at her, enjoying her confusion – and panic. He knew he'd just thrown her completely – which he must admit was fun. It was a rare thing to get Samantha Carter.

"I – Sir? What – what's going on?"

"Well- remember our conversation the other day?" he asked.

"Uh – which conversation sir", she asked, although she was pretty sure she knew what he was talking about – at least she hoped so.

"Sam, Sam, Sam", he tutted. "Don't tell me you've forgotten already? I mean – you were the one who showed up at 4:30 in the morning and woke me up."

"Oh – that conversation."

"Right!" Suddenly Jack was feeling a bit unsure. Had he misread things? He looked down at Carter and instantly was cheered up. She was looking confused still – but also hopeful. No, he hadn't misread things at all. "So, if you'll remember we said we wanted to figure things out." He grew serious. "Do you still want that Sam?"

She looked at this dear, crazy man in front of her and slowly allowed herself to relax. "Yes", she answered simply. "More than anything in the world."

"Excellent!" he grinned, hopping off the desk. He moved towards her and knelt down beside her chair. Taking her hands in his he looked deep into her eyes. "Good, because I have."

"You have?" What did he mean? "You've - ?"

"Figured it out. Well, actually I can't claim to have figured it out – but Walter has – and I can take credit for having him as my assistant."

"Walter?" her eyes grew big. "You told him?" She wasn't sure whether she should be angry or not. Why would he have told Walter, for heaven's sake?

"No, I didn't tell him", he said sincerely. "I didn't tell anyone – I wouldn't do that Sam, you must know that."

She looked at him and nodded. "I do. But how did he help then?"

"Well, he knew about us – and no, I really didn't say anything. I guess he's just been around long enough and knows us well enough that he figured it out on his own. Anyway – he could tell that I was really frustrated the other day and asked me about it. I told him it was a personal matter – and that's when he guessed it was about you. He offered to figure it out for us – and you know Walter, he can pull off more miracles than just about anyone I know except you."

"He offered – ?" her voice petered out. She really wasn't sure what to say.

"Yup – he did and you know what? He figured it out."

"He _did_?" she asked, startled. "But – how? What?"

"That's what I said", he laughed, "and just about as eloquently. Well, he went back to the regs and read them from top to bottom – then he went and checked out if there were any addendums."

"_Addendums_?"

"Yeah, you know, 'addendum - an item of additional material, usually omissions, added at the end of a book or publication'"

He'd clearly memorized the definition but she was still confused.

He reached out and trailed a finger gently down the frown lines on her forehead. "Yeah – I didn't think about an addendums either – but Walter did."

"And what did these _addendums_ say?" she asked weakly.

"Well, it was just one addendum, actually, and what it said means everything. You see, the Air Force has regulations against people of any rank fraternizing with each other."

"I know Sir", she said impatiently. "Believe me, I know."

"Yes well", he smiled, "What you don't know – and what I didn't know either, is that they doesn't apply to general officers."

"General officers?" Okay, she was still confused. What in the world was he saying?

"General officers Sam – anyone of the rank of Brigadier General or above is excluded from the frat regs. It's in the Addendum!"

"But – why?"

"Why? I don't know -" he stopped. "I expect it's because if you're a general it would be almost impossible to meet _anyone_ with whom to have a relationship. It's not like there are a lot of women generals running around to meet and uh – date. I guess they also think that a general is less likely to abuse the chain of command."

"Hey", he objected when she snorted and rolled her eyes at that. "I'm just saying what I think _they're_ saying. I didn't say I believed it – at least about the abuse part. It's true there aren't many women generals."

"So you're telling me that you're exempt from the regulations?"

"Those ones, yeah", he grinned. "And those _are_ the important ones."

"But I'm a Colonel – not a general officer", she argued.

"Doesn't matter. I'm exempt – and so is anyone I – uh - date."

"You're sure?"

"Yup! I checked."

"You _checked_?" she cried, looking panicked.

"Sam – of course I did. I didn't mention any names – although he knew instantly who I was talking about", he said in an aside. "I had to check to make sure so we didn't get into any trouble."

"Who did you check with?", she asked weakly, astounded at what he'd just told her.

"Well, I called General Hammond – and he checked with the Air Force lawyers – and the Joint Chiefs, and the President. They all agreed it was okay."

"You checked with – oh my God Jack!" she was overwhelmed. "When did you do all this?"

"Today", he answered, "after you'd left on the mission."

"But we were only gone a few hours."

"So – I was anxious and wanted an answer", he shrugged.

She just stared at the man kneeling down next to her and didn't know whether to laugh or to burst into tears. Only Jack O'Neill would have pushed the _President_ for god's sake. She shook her head, still stunned – she didn't know what to say. After all that – after everything – it was as easy as that! Easy yes, she suddenly realized, but it was only in the last few months – since Jack was promoted to General - that it would have been okay anyway. Before that it was prohibited so they hadn't lost any time. She kept looking at Gen – no, at Jack – and slowly began to smile.

"So – you figured it out", she said softly.

"With Walter's help", he acknowledged.

"I'll have to buy Walter a nice present", she said.

"Yes – we both will", he agreed, staring into her beautiful eyes.

"So – we're legal?" she asked, just to make sure.

"Very legal", he answered.

"And if I decided to lean forward right now and kiss you, right in the middle of your office in the SGC, I wouldn't get into trouble?" she asked.

"No, in fact not only would you not get into trouble, I consider it a -"

His words were interrupted when Colonel Samantha Carter put her hands on either side of his face and pulled him forward – and planted her lips on his. The kiss lasted for a long time, neither officer coming up for air until absolutely necessary.

" - a virtual order", he continued as she pulled back. He was finding it almost impossible to catch his breath. He looked at the woman in front of him – and smiled as he noticed her look of complete and absolute bliss. He knew just how she was feeling.

"I really have to get something for Walter", she continued, once she could catch _her_ breath.

At that moment there was a knock on the door and Jack stood up slowly. "Come in", he called. The door opened, and to neither his nor Sam's surprise, Daniel and Teal'c walked in.

"What can I do for you two?" he asked, leaning back against his desk.

"Uh – well – we just wanted to make sure everything was - " Daniel stopped and looked at Jack and then down at Sam. "What the hell?" he asked.

"What's wrong Daniel?" Jack asked, his eyes crinkling with humor, although the rest of his face remained blank.

"What have you two been doing?" the younger man asked bluntly.

"Doing?" Jack asked innocently. "We've been talking about Air Force rules Daniel", he answered.

"Rules? I don't think so Jack. Teal'c – what does it look like they've been doing?"

"I believe, Daniel Jackson, if their faces are anything to go by, they have been kissing."

"TEAL'C !" Sam protested. "What are you saying?"

"I think it's pretty clear what he was saying Sam. He's saying we were kissing. So, what's your point big guy?" Jack asked casually.

"His _point_? Jack – are you telling me you _were_ kissing Sam?" Daniel looked shocked – worried that his friends had lost their minds.

"Of course I was. I've wanted to do it for years – figured now was a good time."

"Now – but why now?" Daniel looked back and forth between his two friends.

"Why now?" He looked down at the woman sitting calmly in the chair in front of him. She smiled up at him with a nod and reached out and took his hands in hers.

Jack smiled. "Because we finally figured it out."

_**Air Force regulations do exclude 'general officers' and 'field officers' from the frat regulations – I have absolutely no idea what that means but decided to use it here – writer's prerogative. **_

_**The end**_


End file.
